Pence plans return trip to Iowa in November

Former Vice President Mike Pence is headed to Iowa next month as he ramps up his national travel schedule ahead of a potential 2024 White House bid.

Pence will appear at the University of Iowa on Nov. 1 to speak at an event hosted by the Young American Foundation. Pence has been active with the conservative organization since former President Donald Trump’s administration ended in January.

It is Pence‘s second trip in just a few months to Iowa, which has traditionally held the first presidential nominating contest. Pence appeared this summer at the Faith & Freedom Summit, an event hosted by Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical figure in the state.

The former vice president has also made visits to New Hampshire and South Carolina, two other critical states with early presidential nominating contests.

Pence is also building out his personal political infrastructure after spending the previous four years under the umbrella of the Trump campaign and the White House. He has launched a nonprofit organization, Advancing American Freedom, and he recently hosted a donor retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyo., which was attended by a number of major GOP contributors.

Pence is also going to Oregon this weekend, according to an official with his nonprofit. The local Republican Party in Washington County, one county over from Portland, will host him for a speech centered on supporting law enforcement.

Pence is one of an array of would-be potential 2024 contenders making the rounds in early 2024 states like Iowa. The list also includes former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Former President Donald Trump is also heading to Iowa next week, amid speculation he is planning a 2024 comeback.